Whereas the jungle was alive with noise, the area surrounding the pods was deadly silent. It was a hardship to make her feet move forward toward the colony of—food? Entire bushes of deep green were dedicated to the suspended pods. Intricate water balloons ready to drop on an unsuspecting victim at any given time. The weather was turning volatile, yet none of the pods moved in the violent wind.
What manner of creature was big enough to eat these?
“What is this place?” Zuri whispered, her shaking body pressed close to Kobe for warmth.
“A female Zargonnii birthing place for male babes.”
“Then we shouldn’t be here.”
“They’re empty. Don’t be afraid. There is a strong scent here I don’t understand.”
Kobe moved forward, trance-like. He sniffed at the pods. The individual birthing houses were at least twenty feet from the ground, some much higher. Kobe stood under one. He had grown into battle mode to get closer. Gripping the thick vine in his hand near the pod Kobe pulled himself up. The pod was perfectly round, and at least thirty feet up in the air. Zuri saw no entrance. Kobe’s hand slipped into the pod near the bottom, and he pulled himself up, he vanished, his body sucked into the structure, his legs disappearing at an alarming rate. Zuri panicked and raced to climb the vine.
Oh my God, he’s been eaten by a giant blueberry!
“Kobe? Oh God, Kobe, are you all right?”
The vines were slick yet hard underneath. Her hands slipped as she pulled herself higher. Her feet struggled to maintain a good foothold. She refused to look at the ground beneath her. When she wobbled underneath the pod her hand felt all around the bottom where Kobe had disappeared. The pod was hard as rock everywhere she touched. Her bare, now freezing, feet ached as they strove to find a niche to settle her swaying body. Her breath came in gasps as she called his name. There was no way in. There was no door, Kobe had been swallowed whole.
Oh God, oh God.
Freezing wind whipped around her body, the hail began to fall, stinging her bare arms. She began to slip. Zuri screamed when Kobe’s hand reappeared from the pod; he grabbed her wrist and hauled her inside with him. Her body felt a squeezing pressure as she was sucked inwards. She gasped in air. Kobe hauled her onto his lap that she lay limply across. His skin and fur was familiar, the feel of him, his safety. The first thing she noted was it was wonderfully warm inside. The entire pod was covered in thick white fur from top to bottom. There was a dim light source from all around emanating from the walls in a few tiny bald patches. Utter quiet greeted her, serenity. Zuri imagined the comfort of a womb. Sanity slowly returned.
“Your females give birth in these things?”
“Yes. They are safe from all creatures. Cyrons can’t penetrate the exterior, they can’t enter through the bottom; they aren’t tall enough to reach. They are too big to fit through and can’t climb. Just being here brings back so many memories, even though it’s not my birthing pod. I must have confused directions. We were closer to this pod, and my mother’s smell. I was following her scent without knowing it, but it’s in the wrong direction. I mean we’re headed in the right direction, but my mother’s scent shouldn’t be here, near this continent. I can remember my mother holding me and just gazing at me for hours. She had the most beautiful smile. She tickled my belly, played with my fingers and toes. She showed me a lifetime of caring in the short month we had together.”
“How can you remember that far back?”
“Can’t you?”
“No.”
“That’s a shame. To me that’s an oddity.”
“Is that how you know how to get in and out of these things?”
“Yes. My mother never put me down. She took me while she hunted; many of the females hunted in packs, it was safer. I could scent the other male offspring. It made it easier to bond with them when we met at the meeting hall with our fathers, then later in school. It’s strange. I scent my mother in here, but this isn’t the pod I was born in. I scent another male.”
“You have a brother?”
“Not that I know of. I thought all females only went to one continent to mate. If this is my mother’s pod it means she Holidayed on both continents. I always thought females chose the same mate after a male was born, in case they had another male.”
“How many different females did you Holiday with?” Zuri asked.
“Four, I assumed the females didn’t pick me again because they had female offspring and they would never give up their females.”
“I find that sad about your culture. I would never give up my son.”
“Our females have no choice. A male wouldn’t last long with the females, even with his mother. Once he reached a certain age, he would want to Holiday, even if the females weren’t interested. That’s when real trouble would start. Males are younger when they get the urge to Holiday, females older. Until a certain age, females are smaller than males even when they are the same age. It’s been recorded in our history. It’s hard to believe but true. Males and females would constantly battle if a male stayed near. It wouldn’t be a fair battle if the female was too small—like you. It would be wrong to battle you, it would be wrong to battle a small Zargonnii female. I suppose in an odd way it’s how we care about one another—we stay away.
“Zargonnii females know when they are ready to Holiday, it’s their choice. They come to us. These are just birthing pods; I have never seen a female Zargonnii nest, the actual place they call home. I don’t think any male has. At least none lived to tell about it.”
“Why does your species live apart?”
“Both male and female Zargonnii are dominant. With females around, a male wants to Holiday more often than once every other year, females don’t. Both sexes battle for dominance. Can you imagine a world of males and females always fighting for dominance, nothing would get done.”
“Why not settle for equality?”
“In the department of Holiday there is no equality. Dominate or be dominated.”
“You’ve been around me a lot.”
“I know and my urge to Holiday with you grows as we speak. But it’s different with you than with a female Zargonnii. I am the dominant, that will never change, yet I can function. There is no need for strategy. I can concentrate on hunting, finding us a safe place to sleep. You don’t muddle my mind with a constant need to keep you under me.”
“Gee, thanks,” Zuri said, sarcasm filled her words. “I’m forgettable.”
“You are anything but forgettable. It’s you I need to keep safe, you I need to hunt for, you I need to keep close. A Zargonnii female would kick my ass if I brought her food.”
“I would be very thankful if you brought me food.”
“Your belly is angry again?”
“Yes, it’s starting to get grouchy.”
“Your anatomy is strange. My guts do as they’re told. You do what your guts tell you.”
“Can you please not bring a dead gutted thing in here?”
“Any meat I bring will have to be dead and gutted.”
“Can’t you cook it first? So it doesn’t look so pathetic lying dead in your huge hands?”
“That I can do.”
* * * *
The tiny faya were so predictable it was laughable. It almost seemed a shame to kill the little creatures but Kobe didn’t like the sounds of defiance in Zuri’s stomach when she needed sustenance. It was almost an accusing sound, as though he couldn’t take care of her. Zuri insisted she had no control over the noise and Kobe believed her, but it still didn’t altogether alleviate his concerns.
A growling howl from the faya caught Kobe’s attention. For a small creature they made more noise than a cyron. When the faya pounced from its shelter Kobe grabbed it, snapped its head off and, using his fingernails, he skinned it and removed the entrails. It took a few short moments to cook the being whole with his blazing eyes. He planned on slicing the faya in the safety of the pod.
The storm was pelting Kobe with
hail that bounced harmlessly off his body which was in battle mode. Zuri was safe in the pod; this weather would kill her if she remained exposed. It was yet another good reason to head to the southern continent where it was warmer. The north was a mask of ice and snow. Kobe had no need to feel he had to justify his actions, even Citun would after a time come to realize this was the safer way to go; he couldn’t possibly carry Zuri bundled in his hair every second for weeks until they reached his home.
Right now Kobe was feeling full of himself. He was keeping his female safe, warm, and now fed. Feeling pleased, Kobe turned his concentration to the pods. An unworldly snort caught Kobe’s attention. He spun fast, barely missing the claws of the cyron beast. For just a second, he was frozen where he stood. This was the females’ place; this creature should never be here.
But it is.
All the memories of his mother’s encounter with the beast surfaced—all the fears of being killed. For a second there was panic in his strong warrior heart, the feeling sickened him. This time his mother wasn’t here to protect him. The beast stood four times his size and more than quadrupled his weight. Long, shaggy black hair partially covered its beady black eyes and the three sharp horns on its long snout. This was an older beast and too formidable, Kobe hadn’t a hope of beating it in battle.
The snarling creature towered over him, it was menacing—hungry. There was no way Kobe would be able to stop it let alone kill it. For a second indecisiveness struck. The pod was so close. He would be safe there; he could make it without injury. No. He had to lead the beast away from the pod. He was responsible for a life not his own. Zuri, her vulnerability flashed before his eyes. With any hope, the cyron was passing through and had no idea of Zuri’s existence.
No, not my Zuri.
Cyron were massive bulky beasts, they moved slowly, and angered fast. It had been years since Kobe had come across one during his first Holiday. The female battling it killed it then noticed Kobe. They had battled and Holidayed near the dead beast. Normally, the Zargonnii females kept the beasts from the males’ area, to protect their young. Kobe was in the females’ area. The pods should have been deserted; the beast would know this. A lone male Zargonnii in the female area was too hard to resist. The cyron must have caught Kobe’s scent and come looking for an easy meal. Kobe’s heart sank; it must have been hunting him. If he tried to make it to the pod, the creature would be waiting in the morning. He and Zuri would have to come out sooner or later.
Kobe could move fast, faster still when being hunted. There was no need to fight the beast, just to get the hell out of its way as well as getting it away from Zuri. Kobe thundered through the foliage with the sound of the beast crashing its way toward him steadily. The area wasn’t known to Kobe and he was soon lost, terror gripped his heart hoping Zuri would stay put. Running from the cyron wasn’t getting him anywhere; he needed to stop the beast somehow. Kobe had enough to deal with in getting Zuri to safety; he needed to outsmart the beast. The large pond he almost stumbled onto was frozen over, but Kobe knew it was deceptive, the ice would be thin. Under the water were live algae, so alive it could rip the flesh from its prey’s bones.
Taking a chance, and hearing the cyron crash through the underbrush, Kobe shook off his battle mode. He walked across the frozen pond, hearing the decisive cracks under his feet. Even with his smaller size, Kobe could feel the tremble under him. Beneath, he could see the movement following his tracks. The live algae scratched at the ice under his feet. Ice was the only thing on the planet able to contain the live algae. It couldn’t break through the slick surface; it merely skidded across the underside. The ice was slippery; it took everything Kobe had to remain upright.
Behind him, he heard the cyron roar. Kobe had to make it to the other side fast. The cyron tossed its shaggy head, its three horns snorted smoke; it hesitated only slightly before giving chase. The beast was too cocky. Its massive clawed paws gripped the ice, pulling it faster toward Kobe. The shaggy body of the beast rubbed against the slick surface. Kobe was almost at the shore with the beast reaching the mid-way point. Most of the algae had abandoned Kobe for a juicer meal. The ice cracked again under Kobe’s feet. He heard it cracking from under the cyron.
Kobe held his breath and for a split second his steps faltered. A massive crack in the ice passed between his feet to the other side of the pond. The algae were escaping, oozing up the sides of the cracks, a small amount creeping its way toward him. Kobe made a run for it. He heard a furious howl from behind him as the cyron fell through the ice. Last second, Kobe flung himself belly-down onto the ice, skidding to the shore, smashing into an ice covered bank and watched as the algae washed over the cyron’s head. The beast screamed in agony. Paws and limbs flailing, the beast resurfaced only to have another wave of scum crash over its head, battering the beast down under the filthy water. Kobe had no idea if the cyron would live, but as he watched, hunks of fur and flesh were stripped from the creature until the whites of its bones showed in areas. The smell was nauseating.
Kobe raced away. After a few miles he stopped to catch his breath. He laughed when he noted the crispy body of the faya still in his fist. With his nose to the air Kobe scented the smell of his mother and followed the scent track back to her pod. It amazed him his mother had made a pod on this side of the continent. More astounding was the fact he had a brother. Something strange must have happened to his mother; brothers were normally kept together, it was only fair. Sisters were kept together. For some reason, his brother and he didn’t share the same sire, or even the same continent.
Zuri was anxiously awaiting his return. Kobe never mentioned the cyron; there was no need to frighten her. Kobe looked at Zuri, the female he was responsible for. She could never kill a cyron to protect her children. Male warriors were strong, but they didn’t have maternal killer instinct. He wondered what the other Zargonnii male felt about mating a human female and siring a female child. It was a great deal of responsibility, two females to care for.
Zuri was quiet as Kobe fed her tiny pieces of meat he bit off the faya. Finding decent eating vegetation was going to be hard in the cold season. It wasn’t impossible; he needed to get to a wamaya tree during the middle of the day. The problem was all creatures big, small and downright dangerous knew the wamaya tree was the only source of vegetable plant life during the cold season. The wamaya would open its massive bark and allow the bright afternoon rays to warm its vegetables for a short time then close shut to protect the fare.
“You look lost in thought.”
Kobe almost dropped the hand-sized piece of meat he was gnawing on when Zuri spoke. Her small teeth were working the last tidbit he had given her. She didn’t really need to chew; it was small enough to swallow whole.
“Just thinking about the safest route to travel tomorrow.”
“You look a little tired.”
If she only knew.
“I’m fine.”
“This is really very cozy.”
Zuri glanced around. Kobe nodded. The pod was warm, storm proof. The entire rounded pod was soft anywhere you touched. During the day, the color absorbed the heat and light. Zargonnii could see in the dark, but there was a hint of light so Kobe knew Zuri could see him; he would have to keep tighter rein on his facial expressions. Human females were perceptive creatures.
“Are you still worried about the females?” Zuri asked. “Should we Holiday again?”
Kobe almost choked on his food. A female just asked me if we should Holiday. The question sounded as innocent as: should we eat more meat? It was uncanny. Kobe’s cock was erect before he even answered. He almost pounced on her before gaining control.
“The females will be wondering where we are. Nothing can detect us inside this pod unless related to the occupants. It’s designed that way; even Zargonnii females are vulnerable while giving birth. There are many pods as you saw, not all of them are filled when the birthing time comes. A mother may change pods on a whim if she feels she has been discovered. But by
the time the babe is born, a female is no longer vulnerable—she is at her deadliest. When her milk comes in, her adrenaline pumps twice as fast; she gains in height and strength each time she gives birth.”
“Oh.”
Did Kobe detect disappointment?
“When do you and a human male Holiday?”
“We have sex, or make love, when the mood strikes.”
“Has anything struck you?” Kobe couldn’t keep the hope from his tone.
Zuri laughed. “Kobe, if your cock sticks out much farther it may end up in my mouth.”
Kobe was shocked. “Are you still hungry?”
“No, silly. Don’t your kind pleasure each other?”
“A female’s teeth are bigger and sharper than mine. If you had a cock would you let a female Zargonnii mouth near it?”
“All right, point taken, never mind.”
“Well, hang on. I said a female Zargonnii, not a human female.” Kobe leaned closer to her. “Do human females really take a cock in their mouths?”
“Some do.”
“What do they do with it?” he whispered.
“We first get comfortable, and remove our clothes.”
Zuri squealed when Kobe stripped her and him in less than a second. “I’m comfortable.”
Chuckling, Zuri first fondled his balls. No female had ever done that. He couldn’t help but squirm. Her fingers were slim; her nails were miniscule, flimsy. Round and round she touched him. Kobe almost jumped when she centered her attention onto his thick erection. Those same fingers slid up and down his length. Perhaps she was having second thoughts. He wasn’t complaining; the sensation was wonderful.
When Zuri dipped her head, she smiled at him for a second before closing that beautiful, perfect mouthy mouth of hers over him. Kobe thought for certain he was going to howl like a possessed beast. As her fingers massaged the base, she sucked hard; her blunt teeth razed across him. It was all Kobe could do not to grow into battle mode. He was battling; his need to flip her over and sink his cock into her had him grabbing handfuls of the pod’s fur lining.
C.L. Scholey - Zuri's Zargonnii Warrior (Unearthly World # 2) Page 10
